Afternoon Tea chez Daniel

"There were masked balls at the Opera, races at Longchamp and Auteuil, and tea at the Ritz..." declared the Baronne de Stoeckl in her memoirs set in Paris' Belle Epoque.

Slightly overdue, but special birthdays call for special celebrations and as I approached my 21st in Paris I wanted nothing more than to go for a traditional English afternoon tea, thus ruling out the obviously French Ladurée and Angelina's. My initial desire was to take high-tea at the Ritz, but much to my dismay {yet probably very thankful on my pocket} the hotel is under renovation until 2014. This lead me on a quest to find somewhere that would offer me the afternoon tea that I desired on a budget that I could afford, a hidden place off the beaten track, and resulted in reserving a table at Hotel Daniel, located just off the Champs Elysées. 

The décor? Exquisite. The ambience? Endearing. The afternoon tea? Parfait.

All photo's taken and edited by myself unless otherwise stated.
Right photo taken by myself on Orla Pentelow's SLR

The decor was as some might say, a bit like Granny's... yet this is the perfect style for afternoon tea this way. Cosy velvet sofas, armchairs, china plates, floral centre pieces, rugs...the list goes on. The wall paper was cute, floral with birds that matched lampshades and cushions...and it was so comfy lounging back sipping on tea and champagne.

First up, drinks. As it was my birthday I went for a Champagne Tea so I was offered a glass of bubbly followed by my choice of tea. I went for the traditional Earl Grey served in a cast iron tea pot with a funky tea timer stating the strength of said tea...not sure if this is intended for a Brit, I think we know our stuff! There were various other beverage choices made by my friends from Cappuccinos, various other flavoured teas, coffees and hot chocolate which was apparently amazing, like melted chocolate in a mug.

This was then followed by a cake stand of sandwiches and scones served with a variety of jams and marmalades with clotted cream. If there was one downfall of the whole dining experience, I would say the sandwiches didn't live to please me, the bread was a bit stale and the fillings a bit bland, however the scones were gorgeous, soft, fresh and tasty!

Photo taken by myself on Orla Pentelow's SLR

Photo taken by myself on Orla Pentelow's SLR

Final round? A choice of French patisserie as seen above, I chose an orange tart and my friend a white chocolate dessert.

Overall I would definitely recommend Hotel Daniel for afternoon tea in Paris, it's quaint, hidden thus not touristy yet in an ideal location just minutes from the Champs Elysées.

E x

Life above the clouds

Once upon a trip to Valmeinier...

Since I started my Year Abroad, I seem to have caught on to the attitude "you're on your year abroad - anything is possible". So when it was briefly mentioned in a passing conversation that we could just literally 'hop on the train' down to the mountains for a long weekend skiing and act like Made in Chelsea bitches, I jumped at the opportunity and pestered my friends to book asap as it had been seven long years since I last ventured into a white haven above the clouds.  

Christmas came and went and we still hadn't booked...my vision of light, fluffy, snow covered mountains, chalets and log fires after a long adrenaline-fuelled day skiing were increasingly fading in the distance and I felt my body sink below the clouds at the thought of it being another seven years until I could go again.

Much pestering and researching the best deal later, Valmeinier 1800 was booked. Myself and my two favourite Petite Anglaises took the TGV {the high-speed train} from Paris directly to St Michel-Valliore and four and a half hours later we emerged excitedly from the shuttle bus to our snow covered chalet.

Skis? Check. Boots? Check. Poles? Check. We were ready. 

Okay, so maybe our chalet didn't cost hundreds of pounds and have a private jacuzzi and Michelin star chef but we liked to play the MIC rich bitch part by guzzling down champagne whilst sunning ourselves on the wooden decked balcony looking out at the breathtaking view. It did have a cute little log fire and a jacuzzi sized, heated swimming pool for relaxing our achy muscles and we did try and dress chicly on the slopes.

Perfect pre-après ski champagne on the balcony

Matched ideally with a to-die-for view

Snow, snow, snow...at nealy 2500m!

Mid-ski espresso à la française 

Skiwear? 

A mix of practicality and attempting to be fashionable on the slopes - down to basics:

I went for chic white salopettes teamed with a sky blue O'Niell jacket, maybe in an attempt to blend in with the landscape so people wouldn't notice my embarrassing tumbles? Ski goggles - Bollé topped off with my Lambswool, fleece lined Jack Wills headband.

Left photo credit: Hannah Cluley

A not so last minute lastminute.fr April skiing deal in the Rhône-Alpes, Valmeinier with Madame Vacances, was the prefect break from a busy working city lifestyle. The only downfall? We didn't stay long enough! I would definitely recommend the resort, if you're looking for a not too busy, French filled, non-touristy destination.

All photos are mine and edited by myself unless otherwise stated.

Just don't forget the champagne!

Ciao from the pistes,

E x